1917 (DECEMBER) — 1918 YEARS

me explanations, as soon as they learned of the protest of the gubernia executive committee and of the complaints of the workers. Telegraph about the execution.
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Lenin

1 Lenin's inquiry was prompted by telegrams from the Tula gubernia executive committee and workers of the mechanical plant "Socialist" protesting the unlawful decision of the Tula extraordinary commission to arrest E. N. Kislyakov, head of the gubernia department of the Council of the National Economy, who became a victim of slander by bourgeois elements. Secretary of the labor department of factory committees P. P. Pyuriyaynen telegraphed V. I. Lenin on August 13, 1918, that E. N. Kislyakov had not been arrested, that he together with the head of the labor department Arsenyev was being sent to Moscow with a detailed report to V. I. Lenin on matters of the Tula Council of the National Economy and to clarify his case.

# LETTER TO FRITZ PLATTEN

August 14, 1918

To Comrade
Fritz Platten

Dear Comrade Platten!

Of course, it would be very good if you came to visit us again. They say that the Swiss atmosphere has a bad influence on you (this atmosphere is too petty bourgeois, too "calm," too "friendly") — I permit myself to hope that our atmosphere might have a different effect.

Goodbye
Your Lenin

P.S. All counterrevolutionary forces have gathered against us. There is a kulak uprising raging. But I hope and am confident that we will defeat them.

Published according to the text of the journal "Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Geschichte" 1968, No. 1, translated from German. Published in Russian for the first time.

1 The letter was sent by special carrier together with a letter to Ya. A. Berzin (see V. I. Lenin. Complete Collection of Works, Vol. 50, p. 150).

# LENIN COLLECTION

# NOTES TO A. K. PAIKESU

[August 15, 1918]

Comrade Paikesu — try to influence him, otherwise they will expel him or remove him, because he was summoned by decree of the Council of People's Commissars.

To Paikesu

It will now be necessary to raise the question here, for such is the decision just adopted.

Lander is making such stupidities and outrages that everyone's patience is bursting, and we cannot find even one argument in his favor. You speak up.

1 A. K. Paikesu at this time was a member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of State Control. These notes were written at a session of the Council of People's Commissars on August 15, 1918 in connection with the examination of a conflict between Commissar of State Control K. I. Lander and member of the collegium of this commissariat A. V. Galkin and K. I. Lander's refusal to attend the Council of People's Commissars session for explanation.

# TO THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF FINANCE

[August 20, 1918]

To the Commissariat of Finance

To Comrade Krestinsky

I request that you examine this petition and report to me tomorrow, August 21, 1918, with the conclusion of the Commissar of Finance.

1 The resolution was written on a petition by A. L. Shaternikova — widow of a zemstvo physician who died while fighting a typhus epidemic. A. L. Shaternikova requested assistance in obtaining funds kept in a Moscow bank safe, received by her from the zemstvo for the upbringing of her children after her husband's death, and a loan belonging to her father.

The petition contains a reference from V. M. Bonch-Bruevich about the Shaternikovs as revolutionary workers, people completely without means, whom she knew from her youth, and a note by N. K. Krupskaya: "Shaternikova's address: Higher Women's Courses. I join in the request of Vera Mikhailovna Bonch-Bruevich. N. K. Ulyanova."

2 N. N. Krestinsky — People's Commissar of Finance.

# NOTE TO L. D. TROTSKY

[1918, August, no earlier than the 20th]

Comrade Trotsky!

Think about this.

Why not appoint Vatsetis as Supreme Commander-in-Chief?

Lenin

1 The note was written on a report from military commissar A. I. Egorov on the necessity of immediately unifying the direction of combat operations of troops under one command, on the appointment of a Supreme Commander-in-Chief responsible to the Council of People's Commissars, and on the formation of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

1 I. I. Vatsetis — colonel of the old army. After the October Revolution, he went over to the side of Soviet power. Participated in suppressing the Left Socialist Revolutionary revolt in Moscow as commander of the Latvian Rifle Division. Subsequently was commander of the Eastern Front, and from September 1918 to July 1919 — Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the RSFSR.

# NOTE TO G. I. PETROVSKY

[Between August 21 and 28, 1918]

To Petrovsky

Ispolatov complains that they want to arrest him for nothing. You, it seems, know what this is about.

1 G. I. Petrovsky — People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the RSFSR.
2 N. N. Ispolatov — chairman of the Usman Soviet of Tambov gubernia.
3 There is a reply from G. I. Petrovsky to this note by V. I. Lenin stating that he does not know the substance of the matter, but has information characterizing